I didn't read all the posts yet but I just wanted to get this off my chest. This may be a long rant. The whole thing about being a closet fan, it's about the time and place you're in. For example the time we're in, Japanese entertainment is becoming bigger and bigger worldwide, or else we wouldn't be here right now. The place? Well me, I'm in a part of San Jose California that is filled with bigots and racists. Not only that, but the "japanophiles" don't make things any easier on people that have a mild interest or hobby. Me, I suppose I'm pretty beyond "mild interest" or "hobby" but I'm nowhere near Wota level. I won't showcase that I'm a fan, but its not like I'm hiding it either. An example of "time and place" would be when I was at this year's Fanimecon (2006). I saw a guy walking around with a piece of cardboard with a bunch of Takahashi Ai pictures glued onto it, front and back. That would be the first and last time I met an H!P fan. It was pretty safe for him to carry that thing around at Fanime seeing as how there are way weirder people there.
Also, my friend could get away with putting Hamasaki Ayumi on his binder, I probably wouldn't get away with putting Takahashi Ai on mine. It's not because there are people would know who the two are, but a passerby would probably bring it up. I call that one hypocrisy because my friend is who he is, and I am who I am. He takes French, I take Japanese, he hangs out with potheads, I hang out with the Asians that have Calculus.
My point is, there will be people that when they ask you "what kind of music do you listen to?" you can answer "Jpop" and they'll nod. Or they could give you a funny look. Rarely do you get a person that would ask "oh who do you listen to?" after your answer. I saw a few posters that said they get ragged on for listening to Jpop. Now ask yourself, are those type of people really worth knowing? I'm not saying to pick H!P over your friends, I'm just saying if you're open minded enough to embrace another culture, find other people that are too.
As for the topic question itself, if someone asks me what kind of music I listen to, or what I'm listening to on my mp3 player, I'll say "oh just some Japanese stuff". So in closing, I guess I am a closet fan, but what exactly would be the point of showcasing "H!P love"? In Japan there are the Wotas to turn people off from H!P, and in America, there are the "japanophiles" that turn people off from Japanese culture in general. Thats my rant thank you for listening.